Dominance of Fate
by jcc27
Summary: Set after Brisingr. Every choice Eragon makes effects the war. Will he make the right or wrong choice? What is his destiny? May get a little confusing. Eragon has lost all hope. The varden cannot win. Please REVIEW. Shortish chapters.
1. Chapter 1

"Do I have to," sighed Eragon."

"Yes you starving pig head eat now," roared his dragon, Saphira. Even though it had been two weeks from the deaths of their masters, Eragon was still grieving. Eragon had gone without food for a week until Saphira had pinned him to the ground and forced him to eat a full meal. Saphira didn't know that her claws would split his clothes so he was half naked. Many people were starting to notice that their beloved rider was hardly ever leaving his tent. Every time Arya or one of the other elves came to see him he would use the same excuse that he was busy. The first time he did let Arya in; the conversation had lasted about a minute and ended when Arya stormed out of his tent looking like she had just been slapped.

Eragon's physical appearance had changed as well. He was extremely thin, had bags under his eyes and was pale as a ghost. Saphira feared that her rider would be as withdrawn and tight as Arya had once been.

"Sire!" said a messenger who had burst into the tent. Eragon had heard the panic in his voice and turned to him. "The lady Nasuada wants you to come to her as soon as possible," he panted. "It's urgent."

When Eragon came into Nasuada's tent, Nasuada was having a heated debate with Blodhgarm whether or not the elves sent to guard Eragon was allowed into her tent. The argument immediately ceased when they noticed Eragon. "Hello Eragon, I haven't seen you in a long time," said Nasuada trying to start off with a cheery voice.

"Can you please just say what you summoned me for," replied Eragon irritably. Saphira was surprised at those words just as much as Nasuada.

"Certainly Eragon, a host of forty thousand men accompanied with Murtagh is marching to the varden right now," She replied, uncertain how Eragon would react. Eragon only bowed and said' I will do whatever my lady asks me to."

"Get ready for war because there is going to be one," She said grimly.

Everywhere around the camp were signs of preparation for war. Eragon flew with Saphira to assess the opposing army's weakness; if they had any. Without the aid of the dwarves, the varden would lose many regardless if they won or lost.

When they returned to the camp, Eragon moved to get his weapons but Arya caught him first. "Wait!" She called. Eragon waited. "Are you going to take part in the war?" she asked.

"Of course, I will not sit back while you go off and win the war without me. You weren't concerned were you?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" She asked.

"I will fight even if I knew I would drop down dead." "Would you prefer no rider at all?" he asked.

"I would prefer a fit, healthy rider than a pathetic, ill farm boy." insulted Arya. Eragon turned around and ran to get his weapons and returned to Saphira and gave Arya a challenging look. Looking closer at Eragon, Arya noticed that Eragon was looking weak and even Saphira was looking uncomfortable with Eragon's appearance. He actually looked like he was going to drop down dead.

A couple of hours later, the varden were organized and ready to go. They formed up and began marching towards the empire's soldiers.

_Dodge, duck, defend, attack!_ There was no time to think on a battlefield. Eragon slashed at a soldier attempting to flee. Another thirty soldiers took his place all determined to kill him. Saphira engulfed them with her fire. Eragon was surprised that they didn't have wards against fire. Arya ran up to Eragon. "Eragon, you and Saphira must face Murtagh and Thorn now. They are killing too many of our soldiers. She saw him hesitate and glance towards Murtagh. "No," Eragon said. Arya was speechless.

"But you're the rider, you must face Murtagh with Saphira," spluttered Arya.

"You do it," replied Eragon. He turned and walked away.

Arya looked at Saphira. Saphira looked at Arya. Nothing needed to be said.


	2. Chapter 2

After Arya and Saphira left, Eragon sat down away from the battle and groaned. _What is wrong with me?_ He shook his head trying to clear his head. One thought was left. He had to help Arya. He replenished his energy from the belt of Beloth the Wise. Eragon frowned. He didn't have any stored energy left in the belt. He hoped the varden was gaining the upper hand in the battle even without him, Arya and Saphira.

He ran in the direction that Saphira had flown but it took him another twenty minutes before he spotted Saphira flying low below the clouds. Eragon began to chant words in the ancient language but stopped halfway through. "_Why don't they do it without my help?"_ He thought sourly. He turned and started to make his way back to the varden's camp. The varden would have to cope without him.

"Where is Eragon?" said Murtagh.

"Mind your own business" snapped Arya.

"Fine," replied Murtagh and attacked Arya with a quick lunge. Arya had underestimated Murtagh and Zar'roc cut just enough to draw blood. Thorn threw himself at Saphira and bit her wing while Saphira gouged his flank. Arya had risky plan. It required perfect timing. She allowed herself to get stabbed and that left an opening to stab back. Arya stabbed with excellent precision and dealt a wound a lot worse than hers. Murtagh collapsed and Thorn roared. He swooped down to Murtagh and picked him up with his claws and flew off. "Traitors!" Arya called after them.

By the time Arya returned to the battle, it was clear that the varden would win. Many of the Empire's soldiers were fleeing only to be brought down by the varden's arrows. Arya was glad that none of the elves that were sent to the varden were badly wounded. Saphira agreed with Arya that Eragon needed to explain a lot of things. _"Why won't Eragon ride me," _wondered Saphira sadly.

It was night when Arya got back to the varden's camp. Arya searched Eragon's tent and then the whole of the camp but Eragon and all of his elf guards was missing. No one else noticed because they were all celebrating. Arya did hear one person say something that made Arya very uncomfortable.

"Arya should be a dragon rider, not Eragon, he is pathetic!"

Even though the man was obviously drunk, it still made Arya uncomfortable.

Many people agreed with him and Arya was not pleased when Nasuada also agreed with him. _Would I actually be a good rider_? She thought. After all these years carrying the egg she never considered being a rider. She was glad Saphira wasn't here. She had told Arya that she was going out hunting and would not return for quite a long time. They started chanting "Arya, Arya, Arya." It seemed to Arya that people was losing trust in Eragon. She approached Nasuada intending to say what happened. "Ah, Arya, here you are. I must congratulate you on your victory. As for Eragon, he's a coward. He doesn't deserve to be called a dragon rider." Said Nasuada.

"No, he does deserve to be called a dragon rider it's just that he's not well," she said sharply. Nasuada shrugged.

"He seemed well enough to me," Nasuada said to Arya's retreating back.

Arya didn't understand why Eragon wouldn't want to fight. She didn't think it was because he was a coward. Was it because of Murtagh? She saw him glance at Murtagh before he refused but he had fought Murtagh before. Did he doubt himself? It was all confusing to Arya and Saphira tried to contact him but he had blocked her out. Arya came to a conclusion that Eragon was mentally ill and needed someone to prod him in the right direction. She was sure that she and the other elves could help and make him return to his to his normal self. Arya liked having him beside her eager to talk about anything.

She really needed to know where Eragon and the elves went. She hoped they weren't harmed. She hoped that Saphira knew where Eragon went. She went to her tent which proved to be difficult because many people stood in her way trying to talk to their new hero.

When she finally got to her tent, she sat down on her bed and waited for Saphira to return. She didn't care how late she had to stay up as long as she knew where the sick rider was.


	3. Chapter 3

Meanwhile, Eragon and his guards were sat in a circle in a wood not far away. Eragon had chosen to be alone but he wasn't surprised when his elf guards appeared. He was stunned when eight whole barrels of faelnirv floated just behind the elves. He raised an eyebrow at Blodhgarm who merely shrugged and answered, "I thought you might need some cheering up."

"Do you want to get drunk?" asked Eragon.

Blodhgarm smiled, "Yes."

An hour later, everyone was sitting in a circle taking turns in telling a story. Because everyone was drunk and still drinking, everybody thought everything was extremely funny. They had all consumed about a third of a barrel each. Eragon estimated that they would be drunk for a several days.

Yaela had just finished telling an amusing story about an eagle and werecat when Eragon started feeling drowsy. Then he fell asleep. The other elves stopped talking and all started to fall asleep. Blodhgarm was the last.

"Did you see Eragon or his guards when you went of hunting?" Arya asked Saphira urgently.

_No, why? Asked Saphira. Did something happen. _In short words, Arya told her what happened but left out what Nasuada had said.

Arya was wandering through in a wood not far from where the varden made camp when she stopped in a clearing. She was appalled of what she saw. There were empty barrels every where and Eragon and the elves was fast asleep. She did have to admit that Eragon did look better but she didn't care. She turned around disgusted and walked away.

She went straight to her tent and didn't bother telling Saphira what happened. Saphira would probably find out tomorrow. She didn't know why but at the moment, she hated everything about Eragon right now.

The next day, Eragon got woken up by Blodhgarm pouring freezing water all over him. The elves that were already up started laughing. After a while, Eragon started laughing even though he was drenched in icy water.

After everyone had woken and drank the rest of the faelnirv, the group started making their way back to the varden. Wyrden, one of the elves, muttered something and the elves roared with laughter. Eragon and Blodhgarm didn't hear what he said. They glanced at each other and started laughing because everyone else was laughing.

Arya woke up to the sound of laughter. She sighed; Eragon and the elves must have got back. Saphira's head snaked her way in to Arya's tent. _Do you know what Eragon has done to be this way? _Asked Saphira. _It seems to me that Eragon and his elf 'guards' have been drinking. _Arya could tell that Saphira was annoyed but she detected a hint of amusement.

Eragon went straight to Nasuada's tent .The elves accompanied Eragon inside the tent. Eragon was surprised; they normally waited outside.

"Eragon, where have you been," said Nasuada. Eragon glanced at the elves. "I've been away," he replied.

"Can you explain why you ran away from the fight so Arya had to take your place?" demanded Nasuada. "You are a week useless rider!

"I really don't care," said Eragon. He murmured something to Blodhgarm who tried and failed to hide his laughter. "How much did you drink last night?" asked Nasuada.

"About half a barrel each," laughed Eragon. Nasuada's eyes opened with surprise "I am amazed you're still walking. Dismissed," Said Nasuada.

Eragon strolled out the tent and headed towards his own. He noticed that many people were looking at him oddly. He guessed it had some thing to do with the battle. At the moment,, it didn't matter to Eragon. He just wanted to rest. He didn't want to talk to Saphira or Arya because he knew they would demand an explanation that he couldn't give.


	4. Chapter 4

"You summoned me?" asked Eragon.

"Yes I did. It came to me that we would have to take Dras-Leona very quickly if we were to capture it so I have got a plan which requires your full co-operation." said Nasuada.

"Alright," Eragon said slowly. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to take one of the elves and scale the walls. Then you will have to open the gates. The varden don't have time to slowly wear down their gate." Nasuada answered.

"I'll go with Eragon" Arya said. Arya had been in the corner of the tent and Eragon hadn't suspected she would be present.

"No, I would prefer it if Blodhgarm went with me instead, said Eragon quickly. Arya frowned and her eyebrows met in a V shape. He had always welcomed her presence before. "When would you like me to go?" asked Eragon.

"I would like you go to Dras-Leona as soon as possible," answered Nasuada.

When Eragon was allowed to exit the tent, He called to Blodhgarm who was next to him in a flash. "What?" he asked. Eragon had noticed that the elves were a lot less formal when speaking to him and Eragon preferred that. After Eragon had told where and why they were going. They set off to Dras-Leona. They didn't have armor on because it would slow them down and they would have to use more energy getting over the wall.

For the first time in her life, Saphira was lonely. Her rider was blocking her out of his mind. There was no joy in flying any more and she longed for a mate. Unluckily, no male dragons were available to her. She saw two figures running faster than any human could run. She swooped down low enough to see who they were. It was Eragon and Blodhgarm. She was surprised because it was normally Arya who accompanied Eragon.

She angled back to the varden. _Looks like I will have someone to talk to after all_ she thought.

The first thing that Eragon spotted was Helgrind, the black bare rock that the priests worshipped. Tears came to Eragon's eyes as he remembered how Brom died. Memories came flooding in. Some disgusted him like how the people of Dras-Leona sold people. One memory shone as clear as day. How a daughter had got taken away from her mothers arms to be sold as a slave. Fierce determination replaced his anger. Dras-Leona was a massive city. The walls were high and thick and the layout of the city was complicated. Galbatorix had stationed many soldiers there but the men that watched the gate were too relaxed. They could be easily taken care of. It was after the gate was opened that he was unsure of. Capturing Dras-Leona would not be as easy as Nasuada said. Blodhgarm was at the walls and waiting for Eragon. As he reached Blodhgarm he remembered how Saphira had looked so abandoned. _Saphira is truly a magnificent beast which holds terrible beauty_ he thought.

Eragon was very pleased that no one had spotted Eragon or Blodhgarm. As always, Eragon wondered why Blodhgarm only chose to carry a dagger with him. Eragon and Blodhgarm quietly scaled the walls. He speedily located all the men who tended to gate. He knew Nasuada was already marching towards the city's main gate. He silently dropped down from the walls. He murmured "One, two, three." Then, Eragon and Blodhgarm were sprinting towards the gate. He heard shouts of alarm but that didn't matter. He needed to open the gate and then worry about the soldiers. Blodhgarm moved towards a tower which had the mechanism that opened the gate while Eragon was the decoy. He needed to attract attention so no one would notice Blodhgarm. "Brisingr!" he yelled throwing up flames as high as he could get them.

He heard a creaking noise behind him. He grinned. The gates were opening. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to throw up flames because that made everyone from Dras-Leona go to the gates and that was not what he wanted. He heard cheers from the varden who were still quite far away. Sixty soldiers surrounded Eragon. It was going to be a short fight.


	5. Chapter 5

Eragon charged forward towards the nearest soldiers. An arrow bounced of his wards but he chastised himself for his mistake. He should have seen that coming. He ran forward and struck the soldier in front of him. He parried a stab from a man and lunged forward instantly killing him. The deaths sickened him but he knew it was necessary. A horn sounded from outside of the city. The varden were here! Every strike of his sword killed a servant of the Empire. A fine mist of blood formed around Eragon as he cut his way through the soldiers.

Gradually, Eragon's wards started to wear down. Suddenly, a javelin was thrown at him. It made a creaking sound and it slowed down but it drew blood. It was extremely unexpected. It meant that he had no more wards around him. He carried on slashing at a knot of soldiers. An arrow shot right at him. The first hit him on the shoulder; the second hit him on the chest. He collapsed. The last thing he felt was pain. Pain…

Arya was fighting her way through a crowd of men. She saw Eragon rampaging on the front line killing anybody in his way. She saw the arrow and she knew she could stop it from hitting Eragon but she was confused. _Nah, he didn't pay me any attention so why should I help him? _Thought Arya. She heard the yell of pain but she turned away. _Who cares?_

The furry blue elf known as Blodhgarm saw Eragon collapse. He fought hard to get to Eragon. Eragon needed to survive to win the war. He jumped on top of a soldier trying to sneak behind him and sank his teeth into his throat. Warm blood gushed out. These few days, he felt different towards Eragon. Before, he was just an elf guarding him. But now he was a friend and Blodhgarm didn't have many of them. He bounded towards Eragon and picked him up. He hoped that he was still alive but blood came pouring out. He would die of loss of blood if he didn't do anything. He hurried towards the safety of the trees and began to chant in the ancient language. He hoped it would be enough to save his 'friend'

Eragon groaned as he woke up. It was clear that he was back at the varden and the war was over. He was surrounded with his elf guards. "How long have I been out?" Eragon asked

"You're lucky you're not dead. You've only been unconscious for three days. _Three days!_ He felt that someone was missing. _Saphira!_ "Where is Saphira," he asked. _Right here. _Said Saphira and snaked her head into the tent. _I've missed you little one._

_ And I've missed you Saphira. I'm sorry about before_

The next day, Eragon decided that he would speak to Arya. He strolled over and knocked. "Come in," called Arya. Eragon entered the tent. "I wasn't expecting you," said Arya "I'm sorry." Eragon was extremely puzzled.

"What for?" asked Eragon.  
>"I saw the arrow coming. The one that hit you first and I did nothing. Nothing and I didn't even care!" cried Arya. She lowered her eyes and bowed her head in shame. Eragon remained silent. "I understand if you hate me and leave right now but can you forgive me?" asked Arya. Eragon remained silent for several minutes.<p>

"I'll try," whispered Eragon and he left her tent.

Winter was coming. Nasuada knew it would be nearly impossible to mobilize the Empire's soldiers because of the snow. It would be a peaceful winter and that would be a nice change. There would be time for Eragon and Saphira to mend their friendship. It was crucial for them to win the war.

Saphira was content. She had her rider back and she enjoyed flying. She loved it when people looked up in wonder and saw her beauty and her sparkling scales. She liked it when the sun came out and the golden sunlight reflected off her scales making them shine brighter than normal. She took great pride in keeping her scales clean.


	6. Chapter 6

Eragon was bored. Nasuada had decided that the varden will not attack this winter due to the snow that was almost certainly coming. There were great cheers to that. Everyone agreed that they all needed some peace to enjoy with their family or what's left of their family. Eragon had nothing to do except for reading and flying on Saphira but it was extremely cold. He flicked through the Domia abr wyrda. Eragon opened a random page and stared. _Saphira, come quickly_ thought Eragon urgently. Then he felt guilty for disrupting Saphira's hunting. _I will come!_ Answered Saphira.

In the Domia abr wyrda was a chapter named The Rock of Kuthian. Saphira stuck her head inside the tent. "The Rock of Kuthian!" he said excitedly. Saphira apparently remembered. _The rock that Solumbum mentioned_. _Does it say its location? "_Yes, it's on Vroengard in Doru Areaba," said Eragon.

_It seems to me you have two choices. Do you want to go to the Rock of Kuthian but that would mean that you would have to leave the varden unguarded and if the Empire decided to attack when you were gone, the varden would surely fall but if you stayed with the varden, you would not see the Rock of Kuthian which might help the varden win the war. Also, we don't know where Vroengard is. _"Whendid you get so wise?" asked Eragon. _I was always wise little one._ Laughed Saphira. _So, what will you do? _ Eragon's mind was already made. "I'll go to Vroengard," answered Eragon. "I'll be ready to go in one hour." Saphira flew into the sky.

Eragon sat down and stared at the blank sheet of paper. His pen hovering over it. He had decided to write a note explaining everything but he didn't know how to start. 20 minutes later, he was satisfied with the note. It read: _To the Varden, _

_I will be brief; I have decided to go to Vroengard to seek something. I hope that you won't feel that I have been ach and my sincere apologies for not contacting you before I left. I know that by leaving the Varden, it invites the Empire to strike you when they notice that I and Saphira have gone. My apologies again but what I seek may be something that will help win the war. I expect to be back in three to four weeks at the most. _

_Eragon_

After he finished his note, he gathered many supplies for the journey including fireweed for Saphira. He brought no meat and nothing else for Saphira. She could hunt on Vroengard. He fetched Brisingr but he forgot his belt of Beloth the wise.

Eragon walked towards the training ground where Saphira was waiting. Nobody really paid them much attention. They probably thought that they were off to patrol the areas that the Varden had conquered. In a single leap, Eragon jumped cleanly on to Saphira's saddle. _Let's go_. She took of and soared into the sky, Saphira's scales shimmered with delight. She flew towards the vague direction of the island. Unfortunately, neither Saphira nor Eragon knew where exactly Vroengard was. It would take time searching but time was against him. Saphira cut him of from his wandering thoughts. _Tell me a riddle so we both won't get bored. _Privately, Eragon smiled, only werecats and dragons enjoyed riddles and they were both creatures of magic.

Saphira flew for hours upon hours never stopping until she reached the coast. She dropped down on to a grassy clearing. She could barely stand. Saphira was exhausted and proud. She had never flown this far without stopping. Eragon bounced off her. He smiled at Saphira and told her that she needed to eat and sleep. She nodded and stumbled off. Eragon watched her go and decided to have some sleep. He curled into a tight ball missing the familiar warmth that Saphira gave him. He fell asleep knowing that he had a long day ahead of him.

The next day, Eragon woke up underneath Saphira's wing. "Good morning Saphira," he managed to mumble. _Good morning little one._ Eragon yawned loudly and stretched. It would be a good day he thought. Saphira was already preparing to go to Vroengard but Eragon was only half awake. He dozily climbed into the saddle. Saphira launched herself into the sky. She performed some aerial maneuvers before moving towards Vroengard.

Surprisingly, it took a reasonable short time when Vroengard came into sight. He estimated it was about the same distance from Surda to Dras-Leona. Saphira landed heavily on to a patch of grass near large amount of ancient buildings and skeletons were. She guessed it was where Doru Areaba was. "Go sleep" Eragon ordered Saphira. "I'll take watch."


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Saphira and Eragon began exploring the abandoned city of Doru Areaba. While Saphira went hunting, Eragon investigated the empty buildings. They had been elegant and graceful once but time had destroyed them to a decayed shell. A building at the edge of the city interested Eragon. It was different from the others. It had many curves etched in the building designed to look like waves folding on to each other. The walls had layers of different materials overlapping each other. He had never seen anything like it before.

When Saphira returned, she was giddy with joy. _The animals here are amazing to hunt. They challenge me unlike the deer. They have many defenses but nothing I can't overcome. _She continued to talk about her hunting and showed no signs of stopping for an hour. When Saphira paused to take a breath, Eragon asked, "Do you want find a rock?" That immediately shut Saphira up.

Unfortunately, the Rock of Kuthian proved a lot harder to find than Vroengard. Eragon felt stupid after a few hours of telling rocks "My name is Eragon Shadeslayer, Son of Brom.

When nightfall came, Saphira suggested that they should give up for today. "Can we just try one more?" asked Eragon so he tried it. When he said his name, nothing happened just like the other ones. As he turned around, he heard a strange click had a door opening. He turned back in surprise. Something was happening! A door was slowly opening. Eragon called to Saphira who came in flash. The door was fully opened. Only darkness was inside. Then, Eragon took a deep breath and entered the rock.

As soon as Eragon was in, a second door slammed down preventing Saphira to enter. "Saphira!" called Eragon. "Brisingr!" He hoped that he could burn the door down but a powerful enchantment made the door resistant against any kind of magic. Eragon couldn't believe his bad luck. He had left Brisingr behind. He heard Saphira roaring furiously and attempting to knock down the door from the other side. Eragon gave a small sigh. Whatever that was inside the rock wanted Eragon alone. There was nothing else to do but go deeper into the rock. For the first time in a long time, Eragon was truly afraid.

After half of an hour, Eragon went through another room and cried out. A trapdoor had opened and Eragon crumpled into a heap. Eragon cursed himself; he should have checked the room before going in.

As Eragon got up, he looked around at his surrounding. There were countless eldunaris on the shelves. All this time, Eragon had thought that all of the eldunari were in Galbatorix's control. He had never considered there were other eldunari.

"Eragon, my name is Elmuloth." said a deep, powerful voice. "I speak for the eldunari. I'm sorry but it is not possible the varden will win. You will lose against the king. We have calculated everything, we know everything and Galbatorix will win. Eragon just stood there taking all the information in.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" asked Eragon. He was thinking about all the sacrifices people made just to come this far. Eragon automatically believe Elmuloth. "Just one," answered Elmuloth, "but you're going to have to make a choice, a particularly hard one.

"What is the choice?" asked Eragon slowly. It took a long time for Elmuloth to respond. "Are you willing to leave everything behind for an uncertain future? Are you willing to leave everything and everyone you care about? Take as long as you want to make your choice."

When dawn broke, Eragon had made a choice. A single thought was held firmly in his mind. When he approached Elmuloth, Eragon asked Elmuloth, "Why won't the Varden win the war? I have all the skills necessary to defeat Galbatorix. It doesn't make sense."

Elmuloth chuckled, "It was never your destiny to be the one to strike Galbatorix down. It was Arya's. Now, I know you have made your choice so speak out now for I am impatient."

"I am willing to leave everything behind." Eragon said reluctantly. "I don't want to leave Saphira but I would prefer them to survive and live happier lives than if I stayed where Galbatorix will always reign."

"Wise choice Eragon, I am pleased that your feelings and emotions cloud your judgment. The young one are always the bright ones aren't they? Very well, we aim for your departure in one hour."

"Where am I going?" asked Eragon curiously. "What's going to happen?"

Elmuloth cackled like a witch, "Somewhere you won't believe." Eragon protested and demanded that he should know. Finally, Elmuloth gave in.

"The past," whispered Elmuloth in Eragon's head.


	8. Chapter 8

Eragon slowly chuckled, "But that is not possible. No one can have enough magic to send anything back to the past."

"We do."

Eragon shook his head thinking that everything was crazy. "I'm ready," he called out.

Elmuloth growled, "Doubt it, now listen very carefully. You will go back before the war started. You will go to Ellesmera. You will forget most things. You will start a whole new life and you will be an elf. Are you ready? Counting down now…

"What!" Eragon had not prepared to go just yet. He wanted to see those he loved one more time. He wanted to see Saphira again. He wanted to see and touch her beautiful scales. She meant the whole world to Eragon. He wanted to spend another day with her. Suddenly, he remembered everything and everyone he cared about. He remembered when he was young and playing with Roran in the fields. He remembered the anguish of him leaving and the joy of seeing him again. He remembered all the times they were together.

He remembered the scent of crushed pine needles, the first time he dreamt about Arya alone and capture by Durza, the long raven hair, the strength of friendship they bore. With a pang, he realized he could see Arya again. Just a lot younger. He could also see Brom and Oromis again. He would have a second chance and he promised himself he would not mess up his second chance.

He loved them all. He could hardly bear to leave everyone. He took in a deep breath and though that if this was required to save them, he would do it. He would do anything for them. He realized he would be truly alone. He would start a whole new life. A new beginning. A new hope. His bond with Saphira would break. In a way, Eragon was glad he would forget everything.

If he remembered everything, Eragon thought he would go mad without Saphira. He felt the same spark when he first touched Saphira. He looked down at his palms. His gedwey ignasia was fading in his hand.

His bond with Saphira was broken. He heard a deafening roar. A single shining tear slivered down Eragon's face. "Goodbye Saphira. See you later"

That was it. There was no going back Eragon smiled. He picked up a slab of rock. He muttered a spell. Elmuloth finished the countdown. Suddenly, his eyes glazed over and he fainted still clutching a fairth with a dragon on.


End file.
